I think it smacks of bias when a Bengali food journalist (Tripti Lahiri) starts off an article on INDIAN restaurants with an image and description of a Bengali dish and restaurant (Mishti Doi in Banga Bhavan)...c'mon please try to retain some semblance of impartial journalism! I would have loved this article had your food descriptions gone in some other order. Needless to say, it would have been most appropriate if Bengal had come last.

4:06 pm March 19, 2012

Sarthak wrote:

The Orissa Niwas cafteria (on Gopinath Bordoloi Marg on Kautilya Marg) used to be a great place. Ever since the catering has changed, the place has become swankier, the service better and the food, duller. The menu is impressive, the food served is not. It is too chic a version of all that pleases the Odia palate. The fish and mutton are still fair, but despite promise of the menu, the vegetarian fare is almost uniformly insipid.

4:58 pm March 19, 2012

Tituraj (@tituraj) wrote:

Well it was a brave attempt but it lacks punch. What this write up takes a reader, who has not already, to try out these bhawans. For those, who live to eat, this is too little written too late. Places like Odisha Bhawan on Gopinath Bordoloi marg and Nagaland House on Aurangzeb road are major miss. They offer good food at damn good price. Plus, being a foodie, I was more eager to know the details of the meals rather than an advisory for those who have not yet tried these bhawans after so many years to try state bhawans.

6:25 pm March 19, 2012

foodie wrote:

There is a small place in CP outer circle called Mosaic, which serves signature dishes from various regions in the country. They do a decent job with many dishes. I have tried Coorg pork curry and daab chingri (prawns in a coconut shell) and found both to be excellent.

9:34 pm March 19, 2012

Swati wrote:

No love for Assam Bhawan? Lovely Assamese food, with good prices. Yeti at Hauz Khas village has nice options from the North East. For cheaper options, there's Rosang's at Munirka and the North-East Food Court at JNU.

8:59 am March 20, 2012

TheFoodyGuy wrote:

A culinary tourists dream. There is no better way to learn about a destinations culture than through its cuisine. There are way to many wonderful sounding meals mentioned above for me to choose. One thing for sure is that every one of your visitors will eat and drink at least once a day where as will not all attend museums, theaters or go shopping on a daily basis.
The International Culinary Tourism Association [culinarytourism.org] have over a decades experience of working with destinations globally large and small. We would welcome you to come to our website and become a free member.

8:51 pm March 20, 2012

hope wrote:

Maharashtra Bhawan on Copernicus Marg used to do decent Marathi food in 2008 when I was a regular visitor but I am not Marathi so cannot vouch for authenticity!

9:04 pm March 20, 2012

Tabitha wrote:

Wow! That must have been quite a journey through India in and around Delhi..... I hail from Kerala and don't mind having the fish fry meals from Kerala bhavan next time I'm there...,

5:00 pm March 21, 2012

Vinay D. Dwarkadas, Mumbai wrote:

Now that's a well researched article. Great fun just reading it !

Editor Comment

5:23 pm March 22, 2012

Tripti Lahiri wrote:

Thanks everyone for reading!

@Skeptic -- I actually didn't choose the placement of the mishti doi photo, so I plead not guilty to promoting Bengali cuisine and restaurants!

@foodie -- I've also enjoyed eating at Mosaic (especially the Coorgi pork, and I also like the vegetable sides they do with everything, i.e. cucumber salad with mustard seeds, which makes the meal feel a little bit healthy) but I was worried they had closed down. I haven't been recently and when I tried calling them last week the phones were switched off. Hopefully that's a temporary glitch.

@hope: I ate at the Maharashtra Sadan a month or two ago and it is still around -- I found the chicken a little too spicy and sparse on the chicken pieces. The Goa dishes are more generous. But it was an opportunity to try some new dishes. Not one of my favorites though.

@sarthak and @tituraj; mixed reviews of the Orissa cafeteria I see -- I will have to give it a try in person.

@Swati: The passing mention of Assam and Delicacy Restaurant was for lack of time, not lack of love -- thanks for your additional recommendations!

12:54 am April 6, 2012

Friedgreenchillies wrote:

Hi Tripti, went to Kerala House today based on your article. Appreciate your article is about food, not ambience or sanitation... but I have to say - what a hole! Dirty plates, tables, floors, flies, water being served from a big communal tub.. Food was ok - very cheap but not particularly Keralan (are sambhar and rasam Keralan, or am I confused?) Plus the canteen is in the basement (!) and there are so few tables, you're not likely to get one for ages. But I'm an optimist! Will try a few others (Mosaic sounds nice?)

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